The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, under the presiding judge Justice Sylvanus Oriji, has extended an order restricting participants in the #EndBadGovernance protests to the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
The extension was granted on Tuesday following an application by Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, representing FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
None of the 11 defendants were present in court during the proceedings, nor were they represented by legal counsel. The FCT minister’s lawyer highlighted a statement by Damilare Adenola, warning that the protests, initially planned for 10 days, might be extended. Concerned about potential disruptions to public peace, the counsel requested an extension of the order.
In a brief ruling, Justice Oriji agreed to extend the order, affirming that the restrictions imposed on July 31, 2024, remain in effect. The court set August 22, 2024, for a hearing on the motion on notice.
The original order, issued on July 31, followed an ex-parte application by Onoja, which sought to prevent the protest leaders from gathering or parading within the FCT between August 1 and August 10, pending further court proceedings.
Additionally, the court ordered security agencies to enforce this restriction, citing intelligence reports suggesting that some elements within the protest leadership might exploit the demonstrations to cause significant disruption and damage to public facilities.
